naval architecture Naval architecture, or naval engineering, is an engineering discipline incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and op ...

, a taffrail is the

handrail A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide safety or support. In Great Britain, Britain, handrails are referred to as banisters. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escala ...

around the open deck area toward the

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...

of a

ship A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

. The rear deck of a ship is often called the

afterdeck In naval architecture, an afterdeck or after deck, or sometimes the aftdeck, aft deck or a-deck is the open deck area toward the stern or aft back part of a ship or boat. The afterdeck can be used for a number of different purposes, yet not all ...

poop deck In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or " aft", part of the superstructure of a ship. The name originates from the French word for stern, , from Latin . Thus the poop deck is technic ...

. Not all ships have an afterdeck or poop deck. Sometimes taffrail refers to just the curved wooden top of the stern of a sailing

man-of-war In Royal Navy jargon, a man-of-war (also man-o'-war, or simply man) was a powerful warship or frigate of the 16th to the 19th century, that was frequently used in Europe. Although the term never acquired a specific meaning, it was usually rese ...

East Indiaman East Indiamen were merchant ships that operated under charter or licence for European trading companies which traded with the East Indies between the 17th and 19th centuries. The term was commonly used to refer to vessels belonging to the Bri ...

ship. These wooden sailing ships usually had hand-carved wooden rails, often highly decorated. Sometimes taffrail refers to the complete deck area at the stern of a vessel. A taffrail should not be confused with a ''pushpit,'' which is a common name for the tubular protection rail running around the stern of a small yacht. A

taffrail log In naval architecture, a taffrail is the handrail around the open deck area toward the stern of a ship or boat. The rear deck of a ship is often called the afterdeck or poop deck. Not all ships have an afterdeck or poop deck. Sometimes taffrail ...

is a mechanical speed logging device, used like a car

odometer An odometer or odograph is an instrument used for measuring the distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or car. The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two (electromechanical). The noun derives from ancient Gr ...

. The taffrail log was towed from the stern or taffrail of the ship by a long line. Taffrail logs were developed in the eighteenth century and became a practical device in the nineteenth century.

Gallery

File:Taffrail (PSF).png, Taffrail (#1) File:William Heysmann Overend Naval Captain on the Poop deck taffrail.jpg, William Heysmann Overend painting: Naval Captain on the Poop deck taffrail File:Vasa-weather deck view.jpg, Weather deck of the Swedish 17th-century warship '' Vasa'' looking aft toward the sterncastle, with a hand carved taffrail File:Gdańsk - Galeon Lew (rufa).jpg, Gdańsk "Lew" a seventeenth century galleon replica, stern with wooden carved taffrail File:Sail amsterdam 05 stern prins willem.jpg, '' Prins Willem'' stern with wooden carved taffrail File:Star of India stern 1.JPG, '' Star of India'' stern taffrail

References

{{Sailing ship elements Sailing ship components Shipbuilding Nautical terminology

Gallery

See also

References